Behind the Dark Arts
by enter3witches
Summary: Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy have been partners since the day Ginny became a Death Eater. With one mission to kill Neville Longbottom, they draw closer together. Romance neither thought possible begins to blossom...


Disclaimer: I don't like original characters...if I do have any I am sure you'll be able to spot them. Thus, I claim nothing!!  
  
Behind the Dark Arts  
  
Chapter One "Meetings"  
  
The day had been dreary, raining on and off throughout the afternoon, like a person crying, calming down, then remembering why they had been so upset and starting back up again. In short, one could say that the weather had been very childish that day. The night it produced was one filled with fog, visibility was terrible, yet it did not slow the daily bustle of the village that was Hogsmeade.  
  
It was the kind of night that Draco Malfoy relished. He could walk about unseen, unnoticed. He could wander the streets without being stopped, without catching a pitying glance. If there was one thing Draco hated in the world, it was pity. Pity. Pity was for the weak, and weak he was not. It was also for the innocent. Draco let out a bit of a chuckle at that thought. Innocent. He had not been able to call himself that since before he went to Hogwarts, already dabbling in the dark arts at the age of six. Six...666, the number of the devil. It was symbolic, and thus all Death Eaters began training their offspring when they reached that age. Only one on the inside would know this of course- the symbolism would have been wasted on those who did not follow the Dark Lord.  
  
It began raining again...Draco did not bother to try to ward off the water with spell or cloak, he was too near his destination to waste time on such nonsense. He could handle a little rain. The bright lights of the Three Broomsticks soon caught his eye. Ah...his contact from Hogwarts should be there. Draco was late, he made it a point always to be late. This ensured that he would not get stuck waiting for the person he was supposed to meet to arrive. He hated waiting.  
  
He entered the Three Broomsticks, hanging his dripping wet cloak on a nearby rack. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he ran his fingers through his silvery blond hair, then scanned the room. Ah...perfect. His partner in crime Ginny Weasely sat drumming her fingers on the table, looking beautifully impatient.  
  
"Ahh....Weasley....so good to see you," he said, pulling up a chair next to her. Ginny stiffened and edged her chair away. He always made her uncomfortable, though they had been working together for three years, since the day Ginny had gotten out of Hogwarts and chosen to join the Death Eaters.  
  
"Right. Er....always a pleasure Malfoy. Now to business!" she said nervously. He always made her uncomfortable. Ginny had never been very outgoing, and Draco Malfoy could make the Queen nervous. That was what Ginny thought anyway- she had never seen that theory put to the test.  
  
"Ah yes...business. Oh come on Weasley, lets have a bit of fun. Let me buy you a drink at least." Casually he draped his arm over her chair. He really was an impossible man! Still, she was used to such behavior. Three years of working together after all....one would think that they would be a little more comfortable with each other.  
  
"I can't say I'm opposed to that, I'll go with a Butterbeer."  
  
"Tsk tsk Weasley...so innocent!" He promptly ordered them each a vodka martini.  
  
"I just wanted a Butterbeer, I'm not being a baby," she said, her lips forming a pout reminiscent of Brigitte Bardot.  
  
"Ah, you know you really wanted a vodka. Alright enough games, now...do you have the information we need? Or do I have to get it again?" It was always like this, first the uncomfortable flirting, then the work. One thing she could say for him was that he did take his work as a Death Eater seriously, and they did work well together- once he started behaving like an adult and not a dog.  
  
"Yes, I've got his street address, appartment number....that muggle device...what is it..." she trailed off.  
  
"Cell phone?" Draco suggested.  
  
"That's it. I've got his cell phone number, I've got a picture of his owl so we can intercept it...everything." Ginny paused, then reached down and picked up a roll of parchment. "It's all there."  
  
Draco unrolled the parchment and scanned it, his brow furrowed as he read.  
  
"Perfect. Knew you'd come through Gin."  
  
"I always do."  
  
The waitress- a witch who looked fresh out of Hogwarts- appeared with their drinks. Ginny saw Draco eyeing her.  
  
"Trollup- that skirt is far too short," she muttered.  
  
"Excuse me?" The waitress said, her eyes widening.  
  
"I said may I please have a glass of water."  
  
"Oh, certainly, I'll just be a minute."  
  
Draco smirked.  
  
"What?" said Ginny defensively.  
  
"Nothing, anyway...excellent drinks here eh?"  
  
"Yes definately." In fact Ginny adored them. She never let on, but she'd always had a bit of a weakness for vodka. A number of glasses later, she was drunk.  
  
"Brilliant Gin," said Draco, assisting her out of her chair. The last thing he wanted to have to do was explain to her why she was in his flat when she woke up with a hangover the next day. To top it off, she passed out in his arms. Draco quickly paid the bill and Disapparated from the Three Broomsticks, leaving the parchment behind.  
  
It was around six o'clock in the morning when Draco was awakened from his peaceful sleep by the sound of someone vomiting. It took him a few seconds to realize what was going on.  
  
"Oh for fuck's sake!" he exclaimed, rolling over and putting his dark gray feather pillow over his head. This was just what he wanted to wake up to. Shortly after he fell back to sleep, the last thing he heard was the flushing of the toilet.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ginny woke up in Draco's flat, lying on the cold tile floor, right next to the toilet. She was beyond annoyed with herself. This had happened before, twice before. Counting this it would be three. This was of course nothing to the countless times Draco had been in her shoes, but she was not mean about it. She would be hearing about this for weeks.  
  
"Ginny!" Draco yelled. Startled, she jumped about five feet in the air.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"The parchment! Where is it!"  
  
"I gave it to you!"  
  
"Fuck!" He began rummaging through papers, unrolling every roll of parchment he had.  
  
"Damn! You left it in the Three Broomsticks didn't you? Brilliant move Draco. Now we're both going to be killed." Lord Voldemort did not tolerate irresponsibility from his Death Eaters.  
  
"If you hadn't gotten drunk! Nice going Weasley. Typical of you and your stupid mudblood loving family." He was really mad, and being a Death Eater, what else could one expect from him? To Draco's surprise, she laughed.  
  
"Not to worry Draco, I put a charm on it so that only you could read it, and I have a spare copy back at my apartment." She grinned and apparated out. Minutes later she had returned.  
  
"Wonderful. No wonder I love you," he said, bowing down to her with a flourish.  
  
"Hilarious. Perfect. Anyway...where were we before last night's....episode? Ah yes...Longbottom. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about Neville Longbottom, and perhaps even some things you did not want to know."  
  
"I am not so sure I want to know what you mean by that Gin." Draco began reading through the parchment as he had last night, nodding and mumbling to himself.  
  
"I think I can manipulate him into helping us. After all, he does fancy me....besides, they don't know I am on your side. How ignorant, three years and they haven't caught on..."  
  
But they had caught on. At that very moment, a meeting was being called to discuss her.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ _  
  
Hermioe Granger was the first to speak.  
  
"Its obvious what's happened here. She felt ignored, left out, etc. It was only a matter of time before she turned to the dark side. Honestly! I don't see how you didn't see it coming!"  
  
"Oh sod off Hermione!" Ron was in a very irritable mood, and understandably so. With all of his friends crowded into his and Hermione's small London flat, discussing his sister's turn to evil- well anyone would be in a bad mood.  
  
"She had a point Ron. We always did leave her out. Its my fault. I rejected her without even thinking of what I was doing..."  
  
"Don't be so bloody dramatic Harry! You're not the only think she thought of!" Ron was getting quite heated at this point. He was very defensive of his family and didn't like his best friend insinuating that his sister was so weak that she would let a little thing like that get in the way. Its not like she always fancied Harry anyway, she had moved on.  
  
"Ron don't speak to Harry like that."  
  
"Mum! I'm not at Hogwarts anymore- quit telling me what to do." Relationships with one's family never change. Ron would always be Molly Weasley's youngest boy- and would always be treated as such. He knew this, but right now he really didn't feel like dealing with it.  
  
"Look dear, I know its hard finding out that your sister..." Mrs. Weasley couldn't finish her sentence- she was using all of her strength trying to suppress the sobs that were trying to fight their way out- despite all her greatest efforts. Mr. Weasley put an arm around his wife, comforting her. Nothing upset him more than hearing of his daughter's turn to evil, but Arthur had to at least pretend to be strong. The only other calm body at the meeting was Severus Snape.  
  
"Pathetic. There is no cause for such shock. Did none of you ever wonder why the girl was so withdrawn? It wasn't shyness! It was that she lacked the ability to identify with her family- with anyone who was not a Death Eater or related in some way to Voldemort. Don't cringe, its useless to fear his name. The fact is the the girl was never the same after the whole Tom Riddle incident," here Snape's mouth twisted into his famous sneer, "her own family and friends did not notice the change- and I, her potions teacher picked up on it? Sad." Finished with his little speech, Snape sat down.  
  
Normally one of the Weasley's would have jumped up immediately to defend themselves, but what Snape said made perfect sense.  
  
"So you're saying that Ginny was evil from the moment her quill touched the pages of Riddle's diary? That there was no hope?" Hermione demanded.  
  
"Don't be so naive. Of course if I thought that I would have gone to Dumbledore- did go to him but of course the old fool wouldn't listen." People began muttering when Snape insulted Dumbledore. They all respected him. The Weasley's, Hermione, Harry, and Remus Lupin- who had remained silent- all had a deep devotion to that man.  
  
"Ungrateful git! Dumbledore gave you a chance when no one else woud!" Remus Lupin had finally spoken.  
  
"Look Lupin, I'm not one to mince words- as I am sure you are all aware. I say old fool only because it was very foolish of him not to realize what had happened to Miss Weasley. Yet perhaps only a Death Eater (or former Death Eater) would be able to recognize it.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ _  
  
Neville,  
  
Hey there its Ginny Weasley. It may seem a bit odd that I am owling you, but I am heading to Paris and thought we might be able to meet up. I haven't talked to you since the end of seventh year, when you moved there to study advanced Herbology. How is that going?  
  
Enough of my rambling! Owl me back- I'll be Apparating to Paris is a couple of weeks, so reply whenever you get the chance. I'd love to catch up!  
  
Cheers!! -Ginny Weasley-  
  
Draco read over the letter carefully, smirking.  
  
"Perfect. Short...innocent. The idiot won't see us coming!" he said, congratulating her.  
  
A half an hour later, a beautiful screech owl was on its way to Neville Longbottom....  
  
End Chapter One: Tell me what you think!  
  
Next Chapter: Neville gets the letter, more D/G scenes....possibly more on her family's reactions to all of this. 


End file.
